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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. club — a group
  3. march — the month
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. march — music
  6. court — for sport
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bat — the animal
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. ball — a great time
  13. court — of a king
  14. march — the month
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. court — of law
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. ball — a dance
  20. club — for golf
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. club — for dancing
  23. stem — to come from
  24. mouse — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com